“All inmates are considered soldiers and are treated as such with access to mental health professionals, including a psychiatrist, psychologist, social workers and behavioral science noncommissioned officers with experience in addressing the needs of military personnel in pre- and post-trial confinement,” Lewis said in an email. “The Army does not provide hormone therapy or sex-reassignment surgery for gender identity disorder.”

A growing number of federal judges have ruled that rejecting such treatment for transgender prisoners constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

Indeed, the jurisdiction of the Maryland courtroom where the WikiLeaks source has been tried is subject to a 4th Circuit decision from Jan. 28 this year guaranteeing the possibility of sex-reassignment surgery for all federal inmates in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, and North and South Carolina.

The Chicago-based 7th Circuit ruled similarly in 2011, striking down a Wisconsin law banning such medical care. A Boston federal judge granted surgery to a convicted wife-killer last year, and the 1st Circuit is currently mulling that decision on appeal.

Manning, however, is being held in a military prison in Ft. Leavenworth, out of reach for all of these jurisdictions.

It’s too bad she didn’t come out as trans while in the US military long before any of this ever happens, as she would have been dishonorably discharged for it. The repeal of DADT didn’t cover trans people, only gays and lesbians. Still, I’m thankful for what she did & stand with many others in asking President Obama to pardon her.

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I can see the ethics involved in the military decision not to allow trans* to serve. I know this will be unpopular with many. I think it has more to do with physical fitness for military duty than anything to do with psychiatric labeling.

Armed service’s generally disqualify people for service if there is a detectable disability that could put the individual at an unfair risk in the field. For this reason even people with normally not disabling conditions like mild asthma or a hearing or visual impairment are often disqualified for service.
While women do serve even in combat situations, most women are not dependent on externally supplied hormones to be fully functional at their maximum potential.

If Chelsea cannot be pardoned outright, then hopefully she can be discharged on medical grounds, and serve her sentence in a more accommodating facility.